Embracing Ministries has compiled a list of ways you can help the carers in your congregation feel safe and welcome. This is a work in progress, and new ideas and thoughts are always welcome.
Not all these suggestions will be right for every carer. The best way to find out is by having a personal conversation with the person about their needs and what would work for them.
Remember carers come in all shapes and sizes, including the siblings.
1 John 3:18 says: Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
What a great privilege it is to be able to love one another.
Practical Support
☐ Suggest respite opportunities (e.g., “Parents’ Night Off”, supervised play afternoons)
☐ Provide help with transport when possible – especially for siblings
☐ Offer flexible service times or online options
☐ Create predictable, low‑demand church events that carers can attend without stress
☐ Provide clear, advanced communication about changes to routines or events
A small note about meal trains
☐ Offer meal trains during high‑stress periods – whilst acknowledging there may be restricted food preferences
☐ If specific brands are requested, please follow that request. It may cause a safe food to be rejected if not what the child thought it was.
☐ Ask for specific recipes that the family might like, and make it to those specifications
Emotional & Pastoral Support
☐ Offer regular pastoral check‑ins that are gentle, optional, and non‑intrusive
☐ Provide a safe space for carers to share without judgement
☐ Ensure pastoral staff are trained in carer trauma‑informed and ND‑affirming care
☐ Acknowledge the carer’s expertise about their child
☐ Celebrate the strengths and resilience of carers
☐ Avoid spiritualising burnout (“God won’t give you more than you can handle”)
Community & Connection
☐ Facilitate peer‑support groups for carers
☐ Connect carers with other families who “get it”
☐ Host low‑sensory family gatherings where carers can relax
☐ Ensure carers feel welcomed even if their child cannot attend
☐ Invite carers into leadership or advisory roles if they desire it
☐ Offer groups online for carers to be able to access while not needing to leave the home
Spiritual Support
☐ Provide accessible spiritual resources (audio, visual, short‑form, reflective)
☐ Offer quiet prayer spaces specifically for carers
☐ Create spiritual retreats designed with sensory and emotional safety in mind
☐ Ensure sermons and teaching acknowledge diverse family experiences
☐ Encourage carers to engage in spiritual practices that fit their capacity, not expectations
Communication & Understanding
☐ Ask carers what support they want, not what the church assumes they need
☐ Provide updates about their child’s experience in programs (brief, positive, respectful)
☐ Avoid blaming or shaming language about behaviour
☐ Respect privacy and confidentiality
☐ Ensure all volunteers understand the importance of carer dignity
Supporting the Carer Load
☐ Provide buddies for children so carers can attend worship
☐ Offer “drop‑off” options where appropriate and safe
☐ Create clear, simple processes for program registration
☐ Ensure church spaces are easy to navigate
☐ Minimise paperwork and administrative burden
Advocacy & Empowerment
☐ Encourage carers to share their insights with church leadership
☐ Include carers in shaping inclusion policies
☐ Advocate for ND‑affirming practices across the parish
☐ Celebrate stories of inclusion and belonging
☐ Ensure carers know they are valued members of the Body of Christ
Need this in a printable version?
Click the button below.